240 Whalton and its Vicinity, by the Rev. J. E. Elliot. 



Moores of Whalton was buried in the grounds behind their 

 house opposite the rectory, and a stone bearing the following 

 inscription, marks the spot: — " To the Memory of Mr John 

 Moore of Whalton — who died in the year 1684 — and owing 

 to the dissension of those times — was here interred. This stone 

 • — at the desire of the late Mr John Moore of Whalton his 

 grandson, was erected by his widow Elizabeth Moore, Decem- 

 ber 7th, 1772." 



But bigotry and intolerance were not confined to any one 

 party. Many of the restored clergy were not disposed to 

 treat the matter so wisely and wittily as a famous divine, who, 

 when taxed with unwillingness to bury dissenters, is said to 

 have replied that he would only be too glad to bury them all. 

 Mr Foster, the vicar of Bolam, had, about the time of Shaw's 

 imprisonment, been dragged out of his pulpit by the son of 

 the Belsay blacksmith, at the instigation of Mad. Babington, 

 of Harnham • who was a daughter of Sir A. Hazelrigg, one 

 of the leading parliamentarians of the days of the Common- 

 wealth. On his return at the Restoration in 1661, he 

 commenced reprisals in the fashion rather of his Border 

 ancestors than his apostolic predecessors, and excommunicated 

 both the blacksmith and Mad. Babington. In consequence 

 of this, the latter, at her death, was refused burial in conse- 

 crated ground ; and was buried in a curious vault hewn out 

 of the rock, at Harnham, about three miles to the south-west 

 of Whalton. The mortal remains of the blacksmith were 

 probably disposed of with less ceremony, but where is not 

 known. About two years ago, in sinking a well near to 

 Milbourne, a skeleton was discovered, which may have been 

 his, or that of one of the older inhabitants of the country, as 

 the ground where it was found was dry and favourable to 

 preservation ; but, as nothing is known further of it, nothing 

 more can be said. Another of the Covenanting preachers, 

 Mr Veitch, came to the Whalton neighbourhood after the 

 battle of Pentland, at which he was present. He was very 

 active in preaching and propagating the doctrines of his sect, 

 not only in the village, but also to congregations which he 

 collected at Milbourne, Middleton, Harnham, and other 

 places in the vicinity ; and suffered many fines and imprison- 

 ments for these infractions of the law against conventicles. 

 These punishments probably soured a temper not of the 

 meekest, for he speaks of the misfortunes which befell some 



